My first AR! (... but am I the first to have it?)

I purchased new Bushmaster O.R.C. on Tuesday night. It had just
arrived at my local dealer earlier that day.
I've purchased from this dealer before and, he's got a great reputation.

When I got it home, I was familiarizing myself with the rifle and
cleaning-up some of the excess oil applied when shipping. Usually, when
I do a pre-shoot clean up and inspection of a new firearm, the oil is
clear to honey colored and the chamber and receiver clean. When I was
inspecting the upper receiver, the oil was greenish with plenty of black
residue. There was even residue at the muzzle. It really looked as if it had been fired! Is this normal? I'm wondering if the "black" is due to the fact that it's a black rifle.

I'm new at this also. I have bought Remingtons, S&W, and have seen this. Been told by reps that they were test fired for function at the factory. Maybe yes, maybe no. If you are happy with your purchase, and you are going to let it rip, who cares! No smart ass intended.

I think the best way to determine if the weapon was "test fired" or used extensively would be with a bore scope. Checking for any extensive fouling in the lands and grooves of the barrel.

Baring that, a bright light and a Q-Tip will allow you to see some of the land & grooves near both ends of the barrel to check for "abuse/excessive use"

I can see the factory doing a test and function fire, but I highly doubt they are running more than a few rounds through each weapon, and I would assume they would be responsible enough to clean the weapon prior to shipping it out to sit in stores.

I would definitely lean towards your weapon being used more than average and would have the barrel checked to see if there was any pitting left behind from the "use"

Chrome lined barrels are less susceptible to pitting because of their coating but they are not impervious to it.

I think the best way to determine if the weapon was "test fired" or used extensively would be with a bore scope. Checking for any extensive fouling in the lands and grooves of the barrel.

Baring that, a bright light and a Q-Tip will allow you to see some of the land & grooves near both ends of the barrel to check for "abuse/excessive use"

I can see the factory doing a test and function fire, but I highly doubt they are running more than a few rounds through each weapon, and I would assume they would be responsible enough to clean the weapon prior to shipping it out to sit in stores.

I would definitely lean towards your weapon being used more than average and would have the barrel checked to see if there was any pitting left behind from the "use"

Chrome lined barrels are less susceptible to pitting because of their coating but they are not impervious to it.

JD

When we took delivery of our M4s when I was on active duty and our M16A4s when I was in the guard, they all came with that green oil on them, directly from the factory.

The M4s came from Colt to the 82nd's S4 warehouse, where they sat for a couple of weeks, then were delivered to our armorer.

The M16A4s went from Bushmaster, to Cali's state G4, to our armory.

The only place any of them would have been fired would have been the manufacturer.

__________________
"'Did you ever wonder why we had to run for shelter when the promise of a brave new world unfurled beneath a clear blue sky? "
Roger Waters

Well Matt, I can't tell if you agree, or disagree, but factor in this.

1) These aren't military bulk bought units.

2) AR's are flying off the shelves as fast as they can be built.

3) Many Manufacturers ( Olympic Arms and RRA for SURE ) are working MANDATORY overtime to produce units to keep up with demand.

4) This demand is for units that have already been sold. Money in the bank.

5) What manufacturer is going to spend 50-100 rounds per unit testing something that is already sold? Especially in this age of pricey ammunition. Especially when it's going to be MONTHS before they HAVE to address any manufacturing issues?

Well Matt, I can't tell if you agree, or disagree, but factor in this.

1) These aren't military bulk bought units.

2) AR's are flying off the shelves as fast as they can be built.

3) Many Manufacturers ( Olympic Arms and RRA for SURE ) are working MANDATORY overtime to produce units to keep up with demand.

4) This demand is for units that have already been sold. Money in the bank.

5) What manufacturer is going to spend 50-100 rounds per unit testing something that is already sold? Especially in this age of pricey ammunition. Especially when it's going to be MONTHS before they HAVE to address any manufacturing issues?

JD

True, true, but how long ago was the unit actually built?

__________________
"'Did you ever wonder why we had to run for shelter when the promise of a brave new world unfurled beneath a clear blue sky? "
Roger Waters

I would have to agree with the fact that your rifle was probably test fired at the factory for function. When I bought my .45 1911, two empty shell cases were included in a little envelope. The envelope had a label attached that told how many lands and grooves the barrel has and who test fired the pistol. I don't think firearms manufacturers test every weapon that comes off the line. They probably test 1 in 10 or so, or whatever is company policy.